‘They are frozen,’ Dag observed, ‘and have been feasted upon by . . .’ He waved at the forest, trees encroaching upon them. ‘So it is hard to tell with any measure of certainty, but –’ he poked and prodded strips of skin, sniffed – ‘dead four moons, is my guess.’

Jael nodded. ‘We are making good time,’ he murmured, looking pleased.

We have a head start: a trail to follow.

After Belo had been cut down at Nathair’s council they had spent the day discussing how exactly Drassil was to be discovered.

They had settled upon the plan put forward by Calidus, to build roads into Forn, each with a different starting point. Gundul’s road would begin at Brikan, the old Hunen tower that the Gadrai had occupied as their foothold in Forn. Lothar’s road would follow the course they had originally travelled to Haldis, the Hunen burial ground, and then work deeper into Forn from there. The theory Calidus had used to justify this course was that the giants had dwelt in Drassil before their Sundering into many clans, and so Haldis and Brikan most likely were linked to Drassil in some way, possibly even by giant-built roads.

Jael’s road had been given a different starting point – the logical move to follow the trail of this Corban, ‘the Black Sun’, Nathair had called him, and his warband into Forn. Ulfilas suspected that they had the easiest course, and from Jael’s expression so did he. It was not just personal satisfaction and pride in a job well done. Nathair had given an incentive that the leader of the first group that found Drassil would rule the three kingdoms of Isiltir, Carnutan and Helveth, the other two kings reduced to vassals. Looking at his Jehar warriors, no one had doubted that he could enforce the threat. Or promise, to the winner.

So the race is on.

‘Onwards then,’ Jael shouted, turning his mount to ride back down the road, the Jehar closing about him and his shieldmen like a black-gloved fist.

Ulfilas turned and stared ahead, into the gloom of the forest. A snowflake drifted down and landed on his nose, filtering through the leafless canopy high above. Trees filled his vision. And out there somewhere is this Black Sun, with giants and the warriors that cut through my men like a scythe through wheat.

And we are rushing to find them.

‘What do you mean, their trail has disappeared?’ Jael snapped.

‘There are no more signs of their passage, my King,’ Dag said. ‘No boot prints, hoof prints, excrement, dung, scuffed rocks, trampled or broken foliage. Nothing. It is as if they disappeared.’

‘Pfah,’ Jael said, clearly unable to formulate anything more complex.

It would appear that our good run has come to an end.

‘You must search harder,’ Jael said, waving a hand vaguely at the forest.